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Major · Engineering Technology

An applied engineering credential for hardware and systems work

Computer Engineering Technology/Technician (CIP 15.1201) prepares students for hands-on hardware-and-systems work supporting computer engineers. About 892 students complete it across 113 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $83,391 and associate’s graduates around $56,599.

Schools offering
113
Annual completions
892
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$74k

About this major

Computer Engineering Technology/Technician (CIP 15.1201) is the applied-engineering counterpart to Computer Engineering, preparing students for hands-on hardware-and-systems work supporting computer engineers. The CIP definition organizes coursework around applying basic engineering principles and technical skills — computer electronics and programming, prototype development and testing, systems installation and testing, solid state and microminiature circuitry, peripheral equipment, and report preparation. Programs are hands-on and lab-heavy, blending digital and analog circuit work, microcontrollers and embedded systems, networking and operating-systems fundamentals, programming in C and Python, and capstone projects that build, debug, and document working systems. ABET accredits engineering technology under its ETAC track, separate from the EAC engineering track that leads to PE licensure.

The major fits students drawn to applied technical work rather than to theoretical design or calculus-derivation, comfortable spending time at lab benches and in workshops, and looking for a faster, more directly job-ready credential than a four-year engineering degree. It rewards mechanical and electrical aptitude, patience with debugging, and the documentation discipline employers require. The career ladder runs from technician and technologist roles into specialist work in QA, embedded systems, or technical-support engineering — with senior tech-lead roles arriving at five to ten years.

One grounded observation about scale, access, and pay: 892 students complete this CIP across 113 institutions — wider access than typical engineering CIPs, reflecting that engineering-tech programs sit at community colleges, technical colleges, and applied-track universities. CUNY New York City College of Technology produces 156 graduates (17% of national output) across both associate’s and bachelor’s tracks; Ranken Technical (91), Stark State (43), and Houston (42) round out the top tier. Bachelor’s graduates earn $83,391 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates $56,599 — a $27,000 spread reflecting the bachelor’s premium for moving into software-QA and analyst roles versus pure technician work. The named labor-market destinations are software QA analyst ($102,610, 10% growth, bachelor’s), electrical and electronic engineering technician ($77,180, associate’s), and engineering technologist all other ($77,390, associate’s).

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Software quality assurance analysts and testers $103k +10.0% Bachelor's degree
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians $77k +0.6% Associate's degree
Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other $77k +1.5% Associate's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$74k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$57k

Bachelor's

$83k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you’re drawn to hands-on hardware and applied-systems work rather than to theoretical engineering design, you’re comfortable at lab benches with circuits, microcontrollers, and embedded-systems projects, you’re looking for a more direct job-ready path than a four-year ABET engineering degree (especially at the associate’s level for transfer or fast career entry), you understand the engineering-vs-engineering-tech distinction (ABET-ETAC vs ABET-EAC, no PE licensure from this CIP), and the $56,599 associate’s or $83,391 bachelor’s wage range matches your expectations.

Think twice if you want maximum career ceiling and PE-licensure optionality — Computer Engineering, General (CIP 14.0901, 9,312 completions) is the theoretical-and-design discipline with higher pay and engineering licensure available. Reconsider if your target employers are large engineering firms requiring licensed engineers; engineering-tech graduates rarely hold the engineer title in regulated practice. Also pause if you’re assuming engineering-tech and engineering are interchangeable — software employers blur the line for QA and embedded roles, but most other engineering employers don’t.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Computer Engineering Technology/Technician

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY 58 98 156
Ranken Technical College Saint Louis, MO 91 0 91
Stark State College North Canton, OH 43 0 43
University of Houston Houston, TX 0 42 42
Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY 0 33 33
University of Toledo Toledo, OH 0 32 32
CUNY Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY 31 0 31
Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY 0 24 24
Springfield Technical Community College Springfield, MA 19 0 19
Sandhills Community College Pinehurst, NC 19 0 19
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Computer Engineering, General

9,312 completions/yr

Construction Engineering Technology/Technician

3,657 completions/yr

Computer Software Engineering

2,766 completions/yr

Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician

2,735 completions/yr

Industrial Technology/Technician

1,933 completions/yr

Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician

1,695 completions/yr

Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician

1,104 completions/yr

Chemical Technology/Technician

1,095 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Computer Engineering Technology majors actually study?
The CIP definition organizes coursework around applying basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of computer engineers — computer electronics and programming, prototype development and testing, systems installation and testing, solid state and microminiature circuitry, peripheral equipment, and report preparation. Programs are hands-on and lab-heavy: digital and analog circuit work, microcontrollers and embedded systems, networking and operating systems fundamentals, programming in C and Python, and applied projects that build, debug, and document working hardware-software systems.
How is engineering technology different from engineering?
Engineering programs (CIP 14.xxxx) emphasize theoretical and design work — calculus-heavy, with the FE-to-PE licensure ladder available to ABET-engineering graduates. Engineering Technology programs (CIP 15.xxxx) emphasize applied and operational work — math-applied rather than calculus-derivation, with stronger lab and hands-on content. The trade-off: engineering tech is typically more accessible and more directly job-ready, but PE licensure isn’t available without an ABET-accredited engineering degree (ABET-ETAC accredits engineering tech, ABET-EAC accredits engineering — different paths).
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
Named destinations include software quality assurance analysts and testers ($102,610, 10% growth, bachelor’s typical), electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians ($77,180, 0.6% growth, associate’s typical), and engineering technologists and technicians, all other ($77,390, 1.5% growth, associate’s typical). Bachelor’s graduates earn $83,391 and associate’s graduates $56,599 — a $27,000 gap reflecting the bachelor’s premium for moving into software-QA and analyst roles versus pure technician work.
How does this compare to Computer Engineering, General?
Computer Engineering, General (CIP 14.0901, 9,312 completions) is roughly 10 times larger and the theoretical-and-design discipline. Computer Engineering Technology (15.1201) is the applied counterpart. Pay differs accordingly: Computer Engineering, General graduates earn substantially more on average and access PE licensure if desired, while Computer Engineering Technology graduates earn solid wages in technician and software-QA roles without the calculus-derivation load. Choose the engineering CIP if you want maximum career ceiling and licensing optionality; choose the engineering-tech CIP if you prefer applied lab work and faster job-readiness.
Why does CUNY New York City College of Technology dominate this CIP?
CUNY NYC College of Technology produces 156 graduates (17% of national output) across both associate’s (58) and bachelor’s (98) tracks — a CUNY engineering-technology school running both transfer-bound associate’s programs and capstone bachelor’s degrees. Ranken Technical (91, associate’s only) and Stark State (43, associate’s only) anchor the technical-college tier. Public bachelor’s producers include Houston (42), RIT (33), Toledo (32), and Farmingdale State (24). The CIP is geographically distributed across more institutions (113) than most engineering CIPs, signaling broader access at lower-tuition public schools.
Will employers treat my engineering-tech degree like an engineering degree?
Mostly no, especially at large engineering employers and for licensure-required work. Engineering-tech graduates fill technician, technologist, and applied-engineering roles — often supporting licensed engineers — but rarely hold the engineer title in regulated practice. Software employers treat the line less strictly: software QA, embedded systems, and IT-infrastructure roles often hire engineering-tech grads alongside computer-science grads. The packet’s software-QA destination ($102,610, 10% growth) is the strongest white-collar pathway from this CIP.